


When Dark meets Light

by Andyrus



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-02-27 09:28:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13245345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andyrus/pseuds/Andyrus
Summary: Months after Luke Skywalker's death Rey and Kylo Ren finally face each other for "the last battle". However, things don't go as expected after a turn of events completely changes the course.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The events of this fanfic will take place after the last Jedi.
> 
> Special thanks to my boyfriend and my best friend for helping me out a whole lot with getting this chapter. 
> 
> EDIT: Thank you to Asyamharits for pointing out that Hux is a general not a commander, I fixed it right away!

“You don’t have to do this Ben,” Rey pleaded. “ **Please** , I know you don’t want this, I can see the look in your eyes.” Stupidly naïve or perhaps overconfident in her own ability to bring him back to the light, Rey persisted. Ben Solo had to be in there. She refused to believe otherwise.

“I told you not to call me that.” He shouted, driven by his immense fury as their lightsabers clashed together. The impact of the collision caused sparks to fly up. She was a threat to him, a nuisance that got in the way of his goal. Nothing more... Or so he tried to convince himself countless times. Multiple opportunities to end her pitiful existence presented themselves before him; he could have killed her in the forest, he could have killed her after Snoke’s death and as they stood there with their weapons tightly pressed against each other, he could have killed her here and now. But he hesitates. _Again_.

“You’re wasting my time. Enough of this nonsense!” Kylo Ren cried out, charging straight towards her.

He grew more violent, more brutal, and relentless. Rey found herself struggling to keep up. With every collision of their blades, Rey’s hope shrank more and more. ‘Perhaps Luke was right,’ she thought. Her defenses against his attacks were becoming sloppier and harder to manage. He no longer gave her any room to breathe, let alone to counter-attack or escape. Kylo Ren wanted to kill Rey. When that realization dawned upon her, fear struck her.

That look in her eyes, it only fueled the wrath to a greater extent. His strikes turned uncontrollably aggressive, nearly knocking Rey down several times. ‘Kill her’ STRIKE. ‘ **Kill her’** CLASH! ‘ **KILL HER** ’ His last blow flung her Lightsaber across the room, forcing it to power down. Rey stood there before him, defenseless. She backed away and he followed suit, rushing forward. Her head swayed from left to right, trying to come up with a way to fight back. A mistake that cost her the loss of her balance. She tripped, landing on her rear.

He towered over her. “That look won’t earn you my pity.” Kylo Ren hissed under his breath. She stared at him just as Luke Skywalker had; fear riddled her dark eyes. The Jedi killer would live up to his title today. Immediately he aimed his attack right onto Rey.

The Jedi closed her eyes shut, flinching back. This was it, Finn warned her, Poe warned her, Leia warned her as well, they all advised her to not take him on by herself. She insisted she’d be fine. She was wrong.

‘I can’t’ A different voice answered his demand. This one softer and gentler. He froze in place. The hands that once had a firm grip began to tremble as soon as he realized he had missed. Intentionally. His lightsaber had landed on the concrete floor to her right, engraved into the ground.

Rey could hear the buzzing noises of the lightsaber beside her and she could faintly see the red light of it emitting in the corner of her eye, even if her eyelids were closed. But what she couldn’t sense was any form of fatal injury nor pain. Rey’s eyes fluttered open to stare at his weapon in shock. He didn’t do it. He attempted to do it, could have easily done it, but chose not to. “Ben-“

“Shut up! Shut up! Don’t you dare say another word!” He growled, catching her off guard.

“I’m tired of this useless chit-chat.” General Hux scowled. He was watching this pathetic display of a fight from the backlines, unimpressed by Kylo Ren’s inability to kill the girl. 

“But General, the Supreme Leader specifically ordered to stay ba-“ The storm trooper was immediately shot a glare that silenced him. If looks could kill, he’d have collapsed right there. “If he’s not going to kill her, **I will**.” He began to climb up the ladder and made his way inside of a turret affixed with a laser canon. Hux no longer trusted Kylo Ren. He caused nothing but more headache and trouble. His persistence to fight Luke in a one on one duel had cost them the chance to annihilate the resistance once and for all.

Once he boarded the machine, Hux began to aim it towards his target. That’s when it occurred to him; he could easily get rid of the thorn in his side. This was the only chance he’d ever get to do this and end Kylo Ren’s foolish charade he called a ‘leadership’. He took his opportunity and changed his aim, charging it up towards his own ally. To his advantage, Kylo Ren had his back facing to him. He was far too focused onto the girl to notice anything else.

“No!” Rey on the other hand had a front seat to Hux’s scheme. Panic and adrenaline pumped through her veins. The Jedi’s first impulse was to use the force to push Kylo aside. Her focus on achieving that took too much time, and she couldn’t save herself. The laser bolt shot right next to her, sending her flying back a good distance. Her body flung right onto a nearby tank knocking her out. She slid down and landed onto the floor.

Kylo Ren picked himself back up. When the smoke dispersed his brown hues finally glimpsed at what happened. Slowly, he walked towards Rey and came to a stop when he reached her. He looked down at her. Rey was covered in bruises, scrapes and scratches. Those were nothing compared to the wound she had endured on her side, undoubtedly due to hitting the tank.

It was his prime moment to strike her down. There she was, completely at his mercy. ‘ **Kill her!** ’ The hand picks up the lightsaber. ‘ **What are you waiting for?! Strike her down!** ’ The blade rises up high. **‘You’re weak’** The hand begins to shake. “KILL HER!” He still couldn’t bring himself to do it. As the rage begins to subside, confusion sinks in. In this moment, Kylo Ren finally realized the voice he thought was in his head was Hux shouting this entire time.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The Sith turned to Hux, his attention now fully focused on him.

The General began to cower like a cat. With so much spotlight on him, he gulped. This was a bad idea, a horrid one that would cost him his life. “G-g-getting rid of the enemy, of course.” Hux stammered as Kylo began walking closer. His steps were deliberately prolonged, mentally torturing the General as he shriveled in his seat, waiting for the consequences.

“No.” Kylo Ren stopped in place. “She pushed me because you took aim at me.”

“Preposterous! I would neve-“

“You coward!” The dark-haired male shouted. In an impulse of anger, he began to force choke Hux as he was lifted off his seat and began hovering in the air.

“S-Supreme Leader…!” Hux gasped out, his hands desperately attempting to unveil the invisible force gripping onto his neck. It was no use. All he could do was wiggle about in the air, fighting for his life.

Rey began to come back to her senses. No longer unconscious she heard and saw Kylo Ren attempting to kill Hux. She had no care for the ginger-haired man, but she cared for Ben Solo’s little bit of sanity still left in him. Rey could sense the immense fury coming from Ben, the same sensation that woke her up in the first place. Their bond hadn’t faded at all. His rage emitted like an intense aura, terrifying her. “Ben, no…!” Too low, too far away. He was so indulged in that hatred that he blocked her out even from his mind. She had to stop it. The Jedi was overwhelmed with fear; fear of losing Ben Solo to Kylo Ren forever if he gave in to that anger. She got up, staggering as she began to walk towards him. Her hand gripped onto the stinging wound on her side, sweating profusely.

 ‘Come on…’ She motivated herself, determined to get to him. One step after the other Rey finally reached him. Without thinking, her arms wrapped themselves around his waist, hugging him tightly from behind. “Don’t,” She breathed out, but he didn’t listen, he didn’t notice her. “Don’t kill him!” Her voice got louder.

‘Don’t kill him!’ That voice. Kylo still held Hux for a while before finally releasing him. He dropped to the ground, frantically gasping and wheezing for air after being nearly choked to death. Gradually, he lowered his hand and glanced back towards Rey. She was clinging onto him, holding on for dear life. He allowed her to continue to hang on, struggling to find words. His mind was in turmoil.

“I won’t,” he finally spoke in his deep voice, removing his mask. Kylo watched the wretched general attempting to crawl away. Hux noticed his stare, shooting him a look of complete terror. But Kylo Ren didn’t stop him nor attack him.  Instead, he directed his concern towards Rey. “I won’t kill him. Not now.” He turned around forcing Rey to loosen her grip onto him.

The girl stared up at him, silent. Her lips had parted slightly, as if she were about to say something. Nothing came out. It left him hanging, waiting for her to say something, anything. All she did was give him a singular weak smile. Without his mask blocking her view Rey finally saw that look in his eyes that she waited for; the same reason she still believed in Ben Solo.

“Rey?” He called out to her. His voice sounded so far away even when he was right in front of her. Suddenly, her body caved into the exhaustion. She went limp.

Kylo Ren immediately caught her before she hit the ground, sweeping her off of her feet and picking her up into his arms. He carried her bridal-style. “Bring me a medic,” he ordered, turning to face his underlings. “NOW!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the incident Rey is recovering her from wounds. Kylo Ren checks up on his prisoner.

Rey’s heavy coughing was the only sound echoing in the detached forest. She couldn’t even hear the rustling of the animals. So blurry, so ghastly. The fog made it extremely hard for her to see anything. But it also affected her movement, as if it were heavy, as if it actually had a weight onto her body. She struggled to drag herself as she ventured through the forest. Rey had no idea how she got here, nor where she was. All she knew was to keep walking forward.

‘What was that’ she panicked and stopped in place. A shadowy figure had passed right in front of her between the dead leafless trees, disappearing completely. Was it a deer? No. In the split seconds she got to look at it Rey was certain that the figure belonged to that of a person.

“Rey…” A deep husky voice called out to her. It was distant and faint, possessing a tint of… eerie familiarity. The voice intrigued her. She wanted to know who it belonged to and why it made her heart feel so heavy. Rey began walking again, heading towards where she thought she heard the voice come from.

“Come on sweetheart. We haven’t got much time.” It spoke again. _Sweetheart_. The similarity was impeccable. She realized who it belonged to. This voice, it was the man in her dream a long time ago.

“Where are you?” The Jedi called out, a hint of growing desperation in her tone.

She saw him again, that same figure cloaked in shadows now standing still in place in a distance far from her. This made it nearly impossible for her to recognize him. He began walking again, taking a turn to the right. The countless trees on the side obstructed her view of him. With a rush of panic, Rey began to sprint towards him. “Stop, please!” She begged to no avail. No matter how much she pursued, he kept walking away from her.

It was her father. It had to be him. But why? Why did he keep abandoning her? Why did he keep leaving her behind? Frustration overwhelmed her. “Come back, _please._ Don’t leave me, not again.” Her voice began to waver and her throat felt heavy.

He didn’t answer her. All she could see was his back. “PLEASE!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.

By some odd magic or miracle, he stopped moving. Rey stood there panting as her eyes fixated onto him. Slowly and carefully she walked towards him. Every step she took terrified her beyond belief. What if he ran away again? What if he abandoned her, **again**? Tears stung her eyes. All her life, she was so alone, so desperate for any form of affection or love. The outcast and lonely child came out from within her.

Now her heart beats faster than ever as she stood there so incredibly close to him. Her hand reached over to touch his shoulder, hesitant and shaky. She rested it there. When he began to turn, Rey held her breath. She could finally see his face, finally see the man that promised her to come back to her in her dream.

“ _Rey?_ ”

Her eyes fluttered open, the blinding florescent light looming down on her from the ceiling blinded her. She squinted. Everything felt so blurry. Eventually her eyes began to adjust to the bright light and she saw…

 _Kylo Ren_.

He looked down at her, concern filled his eyes but she couldn’t understand why. Almost as if he read her mind “You’re crying.” he said. She noticed his gloved fingers resting onto her cheek, comfortingly. His thumb wiped the liquids under her eyes. “Did you have a nightmare?” His voice was gentle and filled with… _compassion_.

His touch felt soothingly pleasing. Rey felt herself relaxing into it.

He watched her, intently, having been there for the entire time. Kylo Ren saw her tossing and turning, whimpering and crying out for someone. She seemed helpless and lost. It reminded him of the young and naïve Ben Solo. His heart clenched. An urge rose up in him, one that begged him to just pull her in his arms and comfort her unconditionally. However, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Something held him back.

Eventually the Jedi began to finally calm down. “…!” she gasped, her eyes growing wide. Rey jolted up from the bed and jumped back, away from his touch. She became conscience of the fact that he was caressing her cheek, like a… ‘lover’ she choked. One look on her body made her aware that without the blankets covering her she was wearing nothing but bandages. Rey quickly grasped onto the sheets, pulling them back up.

“What are you doing?!” She retorted, her eyes frantically searching for a weapon. She could see a broom in the distance. Rey raised her hand to quickly bring it to her using the force.

“Don’t even think about it.” Instead of the broom her hand was now enveloped within his. He held onto it tightly, staring her down. “Relax, you’re still hurt. You’re going to reopen your wound if you keep moving like that.” With the way he looked at her his words began to feel more like an order than a suggestion.

Rey swallowed, averting her gaze away from him. “…” Her cheeks blushed faintly. “Can…” She stuttered. “Can you let go of my hand?”

Kylo continued to stare at her for a good minute before he decided to finally let her go.

An awkward silence filled the air. Neither of them spoke. Or rather, neither of them knew what to say. Rey was dumbfounded, still trying to process what just happened and Kylo Ren was scolding himself internally. He didn’t know why he decided to rub her cheek like that. She looked fragile and broken. He couldn’t resist his urges.

“… Where am I?” Rey finally broke the silence.

He wanted to ask her what that dream was about but she wished to change the topic. He obliged. “The Infirmary.” Kylo responded. “You were badly injured.”

“How long have you been here?” Another question. This time it made him grow silent for a few seconds.

“I arrived 5 minutes ago.” He lied. In reality, he had been there for hours, refusing to leave her side until she woke up. That included eating or sleeping. Kylo wanted him to be the first person she’d see when she woke up. No, it was far more complex than that. He was worried about her. This uneasiness tortured him inside, made him miserable. All he wanted was for her to finally wake up, and she did. Never had he felt such an immense sensation of relief.

“Why?” Rey’s gaze suddenly fell onto him.

“Why what?” The male asked. Something in him dreaded her question.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” He failed to reply. “Why did you help me?” Silence. “Why did you comfort me just now?” The more he refused to answer her, the more impatient she grew. He was confusing her, riling up her emotions.

“I still need you for my plans. You’re the only one who knows where the resistance’s new base is located- “

“Liar.” Rey responded aggressively. It caught him off guard.

“I don’t lie.” He retorted.

“You’re afraid.” She pursued. “You’re afraid of something. You won’t admit it to yourself.”

“Silence. You don’t know a word you’re talking about; you don’t know **anything**.” Her words got under his skin. He began to grow more agitated by her accusations.

“I know enough.” Rey narrowed her eyes. “You won’t kill me, because you can’t.”

“I can!” He growled. Rey gasped. Kylo had pinned her down to the bed, holding both of her wrists on top of her head tightly with his hands. His breathing was heavy; she could feel it against her face.

“Then do it.” Rey refused to stop. She needed answers. “I’ll tell you where they’re at. And when I do, I’d be useless to you. They’re-“

His gloved hand harshly covered her mouth, muffling her words so he couldn’t hear them. He didn’t want to find out, he didn’t want her to be useless to him. She was right. He **was** afraid. Afraid of losing her.

“Please,” he breathed. His voice was breaking. “Please don’t. “

The look in her eyes softened. Instead of the aggression from earlier, Rey’s face wore sympathy. Seeing him so torn, it completely shut her charade down.

When he sensed her become calm, he hesitantly removed his hand from her lips and got off of her, sitting on the side of the bed with his face in his hands.

“Ben -“

“Enough!” He shouted, stunning her in place. “Don’t say another damn word.” Kylo glared at her, his hands tightly latching onto her shoulders to hold her in place. “You come into my life, spouting promises of my redemption. What am I supposed to do with that?! Do you think I’ve never thought about it, about going back to my mother and acting like none of this ever happened?! But I can’t. It’s **too late.** ” A fit of anger took over him. “In this situation, I’m going to be shunned, I’m going to an outcast and treated like a monster. Just like you treated me. The way you and Luke looked at me-“ he stopped to take a sharp and shaky breath. “I, I could never come back. I could never be Ben Solo again. I can’t look at my own mother in the eyes, I can’t face the resistance. Can’t you understand that?!”

“… No.” Rey whispered out. “I… I can’t.” Her eyes began to narrow and her eyebrows furrowed. The girl trembled. His outburst shook every single strength away from her. “I can’t understand that, I can’t abandon you. I can’t leave you.” As soon as she closed her eyes the tears that were welling up spilled.

Kylo’s anger began to subside. His lips trembled. Her words, her stubbornness to keep holding onto that small string of faith, he didn’t know how to take it in. She never gave up on him. Even as he sat here, yelling at her, she persisted. But more importantly, he hurt her.

“I’m sorry.” Those heavy words finally left his mouth. “I’m sorry Rey.” Kylo passed Rey a look of guilt, that was soon replaced by the look of confusion. Unexpectedly the distressed Rey threw herself right into his embrace. Rey’s fingers latched onto his shirt, squeezing tight, Kylo’s arms slowly lapped around her. Half of her face was buried into him. All she could do was weep. All this disappointment, all this war, this loneliness, it affected her. Only now could she show it. With some sick irony, in front of this man of all people.

“Please don’t cry.” He pulled away slightly to get a good luck at her. In this cold reality he made, this selfish agenda, it destroyed every chance for him to belong anywhere. But he feared destroying this. He feared losing Rey, too much of a coward. Closing his eyes, he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. It felt right. She didn’t reject it. He continued. He kissed down to her nose. He kissed the tears away from her cheek. Finally, he kissed her lips.

“Ben…” Rey spoke against his lips, breathless. Slowly and hesitantly her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. One of his hands held her face, the other the back of her neck. His anger, his confusion, his loneliness, all of it surged through the kiss.

“Kylo.” He corrected her, his kiss becoming more aggressive and passionate. It was obvious what his intentions were.

“Kylo.” Rey moaned softly. His tight hold onto her made her feel like she could never leave even if she wanted to. That possessive nature of his began to emit. Kylo Ren was driven by sheer impulse.

“If you make these noises, I won’t be able to hold back.” He warned her.

Rey was losing her mind. She must have been. If she were sane she would push him away, she’d be disgusted, horrified. Instead, she melted into it and allowed it to happen. He wasn’t the only one with the urge, hers was almost as similar as his. “Don’t.”

That’s all it took for him to give into his desire. He pushed himself forward forcing her to lean back against the bed.

“Ouch,” Rey suddenly whimpered. Hearing that made him pull back instantly, leaving the woman disappointed. After seeing her in pain, Kylo realized how careless he was acting. His eyes shot down to her side. “It reopened.” He muttered under his breath, annoyed with himself. Blood stained the bandages. Just like that, he snapped back to his senses.

“Rest.” He gently grabbed onto both of Rey’s arms and lowered them down away from his neck, pushing her back completely. Rey leaned her head back against the pillow, her eyes unable to leave his image. He stood up and pulled the blanket over her.

Before he could leave Kylo felt a hand grasping onto his cloak. He froze in place to stare down at it. It was Rey’s hand. She clutched onto it tightly without thinking, a look of worry painted on her. “Where, where are you going?” The way she held on made it a lot harder to bring himself to leave.

“I’m bringing a medical droid to tend to your wound.” He slipped his hand down, holding onto hers until she slowly loosened her fingers off of the cloth. Kylo spoke calmly. An immense difference from how he was behaving earlier. He rested her hand back onto her chest, brushing some strands of hair away from her face. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back.”

‘I’ll come back’ those three words were all it took to ease her mind.

When he sensed her relaxing, he turned around and left the room, leaving a very baffled and confused Rey to ponder about everything that had just occurred.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions have climaxed when Rey begins to notice Kylo Ren's absence, which leads into an emotional confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: this chapter contains sexual depictions

Rey idly laid in the bed, her eyes fixated onto the white ceiling until she heard the sound of the door shifting open. She looked towards it, sitting up with anticipation to greet who she thought was her newfound ‘friend’ only to be disappointed and proven wrong as soon as she saw a droid instead.

The droid walked its way to Rey and began its checkup. She glanced away and let out a deep sigh. ‘He’ll come back,’ the Jedi thought. ‘He has to.’

“Lift your arm.” It spoke in its nonchalant voice, snapping her away from her thoughts. All she did was nod and lift it up as requested. The droid began to undo her bandages carefully. Shyly, Rey’s hands hugged her chest. “Supreme Leader ordered for a set of clothes to be delivered to you momentarily.” It spoke as if it comprehended her awkward behavior.

Rey relaxed a little bit at the thought of him as she allowed the droid to do its job. Questions flooded her mind. The incident never stopped baffling her. She soon found herself daydreaming about it; the way he touched her so gently, the look in his eyes… but more importantly, _the kiss_. Her **first** kiss. He stole it away without even asking for permission.

“I detect a rise in temperature. Are you okay miss?” The droid spoke and managed to interrupt her train of thought again. This time, she was thankful for it. Her mind was in turmoil thanks to that _beast_. Confused by the droid’s remark, Rey stared at it for a while and then she realized her cheeks were warm. Her hands rushed to hold onto them, nodding a little too profusely.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She insisted. It stared at her momentarily and went back to tending to her injury.

Curious, she looked down to watch its work. To her disbelief, it was already reapplying new bandages to her wound and throwing the old ones away. Either they worked extremely fast or she was just lost in thought for a very long period of time.

“Wait!” Rey called out before the robot could leave, forcing it to stop in its tracks and look back at her.

“Where…” She paused, hesitating for a split second. “Where’s Kylo Ren?”

“Please.” Rey urged when the droid didn’t budge. It seemed unwilling to answer her question.

“He has departed to his headquarters and asked to not be disturbed.” It finally provided her an answer. However, not one that pleased her. Rey frowned.

“Can you tell him I want to request his audience?”

“I’m afraid I’ve been specifically ordered to not relay any messages miss. Is that all?” Another unsatisfactory response. When she stopped speaking the droid left the room.

_‘Where are you Ben?’_

 

* * *

 

 

The following day the Jedi grew anxious. Her morning was spent either sleeping or meditating, her afternoon with the droid coming to visit to bring her food and check her condition, and now her evening was absolutely dull and void of anything interesting to do.

Rey sat down on the bed, hunched down with her chin resting onto her palms. “Aah!” She huffed out and collapsed back onto the mattress. Her arm reached to cover her face.

The scene earlier kept playing in her mind.

_“Will Kylo be visiting here today?” Rey finally mustered up the courage to ask again. She felt like a nag but her persistence made her become determined to get answers._

_“I’m afraid not miss.” The robot answered without emotion. It was just trying to carry out its duties._

_“Can you ask him to come?”_

_“I am afraid I am not allowed to disclose any information regarding him.”_

_“Why?!” Furious, she slammed her hands down on the bed. Impatience got the best of her._

_“For the sake of both of us, please refrain from asking anymore questions in the future.” The droid wasn’t even a little bit startled from her outburst._

_“Fine.” She sighed, looking away from it like a pouty child after a little temper tantrum._

“He can’t be…” She whispered to herself, wavering. They shared an emotional moment, a bond, or so Rey thought.

‘He’s just busy Rey. Be patient.’ That had to be the reason. No, that was the reason she _wanted_ to believe for the sake of her feelings. The thought of him avoiding her after something like that tormented her. Did he regret it? Was it nothing but a mistake to him?

“No.” She shook her head and hastily got up from the bed and pushed her feet down to the ground to get up. Rey began to examine the room, finding something, anything, to distract her from all this nonsense. Although her side still stung a little bit it didn’t disable her from moving completely. Whatever the droid did, it was working.

As she walked through the room her fingers randomly touched anything they could lay upon, lifting it up, staring at it as if it were the most interesting thing she had ever found. The cycle continued until she reached the edge of the room and in the corner of her eye noticed the sight of the door. She gazed at it for a few seconds, a little too intently. Rey’s fingers curled up into loose fists.

Rey exhaled a heavy breath of air out of her mouth and sharply turned away from the door. “Ow, ow…” The careless female whined. “Right, I’m still recovering.” She had to somehow remind herself, the bandages and the room itself are not proof enough of it. Glancing down she began to ponder how long she’d stay here. Surely the resistance – Finn, Poe – were looking for her. ‘I hope they’re not too worried’ she frowned.

 

* * *

 

 

The Jedi paced back and forth in the same room she had been stuck in for days. It was evident the solitary treatment she had been given was not something she reveled in. Her only visitors consisted of droids. One to give her food and drinks, the other to treat her wound.

She’s had enough. She was tired of this isolation. Sitting about doing nothing didn’t fit her preference in the slightest.

As per usual, a droid arrived to give her lunch. She stared at the clock: 1 PM, not a single second late. It hovered towards her, resting the tray and its contents on the desk beside her bed. With its purpose completed, it turned to leave. The door scanned a code scripted onto his chest and slid open.

This was her chance.

Quickly, Rey grabbed the tray and knocked the robot down with it, rushing right past it and out of the Infirmary. Once outside, Rey found herself being stared down at by two guards. It took them a second but they finally reacted, reaching to grab their weapons. Rey was not going to allow that. She raised both her hands up and using the force, pushed them a little forward, only to slam them back into the room until they slammed against the wall, knocking them out.

The door shut instantly behind her. She looked left and right. A corridor with no one around anymore, perfect. Rey began to carefully maneuver her way through the passage reaching a short bridge that connected two different corridors together.

“Has the new shipment arrived yet?” A voice called out. Rey instantly climbed up the railway and began to slide her way behind the large machine in the middle. “Yes I believe so. What’s gotten into the Supreme Leader lately? Can you believe he still has that Jedi locked up? Why hasn’t he killed her yet?!” Another one called out.

When they left the bridge, Rey sighed in relief.

“What was that?” The stormtrooper stopped in place. Rey stiffened up again.

“Must be your imagination. You’re too paranoid.” His comrade spoke and moved forward.

“Must be…” He shook his head and followed suit.  

Rey climbed off the platform, now sneakily following them. Thanks to her years as a scavenger, she knew exactly how to do so unnoticed. When they finally reached a more secluded area, Rey noticed a utility closet right beside him.

Quickly, using the force she shoved both of them into each side of the walls in the corridor. The impact of the slam caused them to collapse onto the floor. The Jedi knelt down and began undressing one of them. She removed his armor, frantically rushing to get into it before anymore patrol passed by.

Suddenly, a blurring alarm began to sound. They had finally noticed her absence. ‘I have to hurry’ Rey panicked, rushed to get herself into the white uniform and hiding the unconscious men into the closet.

 

* * *

 

 

“She’s somehow escaped.” An underling spoke, terrified of the man before him. Kylo Ren stood there, his back facing the storm trooper. “Escaped?” He called out, anger already emitting from his tone. “No.” Kylo Ren turned around in a quick motion. “NO!” Furious, he slammed the unware subordinate to the wall using the force to get him out of his sight and stomped his way out of the room.

He was heading towards the command center. She couldn’t escape again, he wasn’t going to allow it. Rey would stay under his watch.

A troop passed by him. He stopped in place. Kylo’s eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. Something wasn’t right. He turned around to look at the group. “Stop right there.” He commanded. Just like them all of them froze in place.

“Yes sir?” The man in the front spoke. Kylo said nothing, which only made them all grow uneasy. Especially the one in the back. He walked, his steps slow and prolonged as he examined each man, circling them until he stopped behind that same stormtrooper. Kylo didn’t move for a good while, looking intently at the person.

“Move along.” He suddenly remarked and walked away.

“Boy that was nerve wrecking…” One of them remarked, scratching his helmet as he shook his head. “Let’s go.” He began walking again as they all followed suit.

All of them except one certain individual. They slipped their way out and began taking a different pathway, one that would lead out of the base with as little attention as possible.

 

* * *

 

 

“That was close…” A more feminine voice whispered as she made her way across the forest. For a moment there she worried he somehow knew it was her. She shook her head. It wasn’t important anymore. The woman finally escaped that hellhole.

“What are you doing out here?” Before she could react her body froze in place, restrained by Kylo Ren himself. He showed himself, marching his way closer to her. “I specifically ordered no one is to leave. You dare disobey me?” He got closer and closer. The more steps he took, the harsher she breathed beneath the mask. He got harsher and she struggled more. Her entire body trembled and shook but she refused to answer. That angered him even further.

She released a yelp. The sound of her pain made him loosen his grip and let her fall to the grassy ground beneath her. Without giving her any chance to adapt, he had already pinned her against a tree, roughly removing the helmet to reveal Rey’s sweaty face. She stared at him with one eye, the other shut. She grit her teeth.

“Who gave you permission to leave?!” He hissed, slamming his fist right into the tree, dangerously close to her face. Rey didn’t even flinch. She just stared straight into his eyes. “I trusted you to stay, and this is what you do?”

“ ** _You_ ** trusted **_me_**?!” She shouted. “What about me?! What about the fact that you just left me in that room for days after telling me, after promising me you’d come back? I sat there for hours just staring at the door, just waiting for you to finally walk in. But every damn time it slid open it was those stupid droids that visited me every single day.” Rey’s lips began to tremble. She felt beyond betrayed. “For once I thought you’d be different. But you’re no different than my parents!”

“Don’t you dare compare me to them!” He shoved her into the tree and moved away. Kylo lifted up his lightsaber and powered it up. In a fit of anger, he flung his weapon towards her, intentionally missing. That tree wasn’t his only victim, he began to slice and destroy several of them.

“Stop it.” Rey called out but he didn’t respond to her nor stop. “I said stop it!”

“Why should I?” He growled, his hand quickly grasping onto her neck tightly. Rey began to struggle, her hands pushing onto his chest to move him away from her. He was a lot stronger. She couldn’t endure watching him like this any longer. It was too much, even for her.

The sight of her tears was enough for him to loosen his grip on her. “Why?” He whispered, his eyes beginning to narrow down. “Why do you do this to me?” Kylo’s forehead pressed against Rey’s. “I never needed anybody in my life. Then you… **you** -“ he paused, his breathing growing heavy. “You torment me, you hurt me, and you made me miserable. I can’t think straight anymore.”

Kylo Ren never looked away. In fact, he inched even closer. Rey could feel him pant against her face. He reached his hand to rest on her cheek. She remained quiet.

“I need you.” Kylo whispered to her. “Rey.” He called out her name. Nothing felt sweeter to her than hearing it. Their lips met again. Instead, Rey’s arms slithered around his neck, getting a good secure hold on him. His arm quickly wrapped itself around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He wanted to close any visible gap between them. In just one sole kiss, both of them could feel the years of frustration, anguish and loneliness.

The passionate kiss ended with both of them gasping for air. Kylo continued. He planted his lips on her neck, ravishing the exposed skin. Rey closed her eyes, tilting her head back to give him more space to work on. She was inviting him to have free reign on her body. It was all his to explore, every single inch of her that she offered him so helplessly. Kylo would claim it. He sucked on her neck, determined to leave a mark or two so that when she would look at them, she’d remember where she belonged.

Rey refused to stay idle. She began to remove her armor. Once he read her actions, Kylo helped her slip out of it, throwing every single piece aside until she stood there in front of him with nothing but a hospital gown.

His hands grasped the cloth behind and pushed it apart enough to tear it off her, leaving her naked. “Don’t,” before she could cover herself in embarrassment, he held both of her wrists tightly above her head. “You look beautiful, don’t hide it.” 

Rey could only simply nod. She felt inclined to be completely submissive under his hold.

The look on her face only enticed him more, making him grow more impatient. He wanted her, **badly.**

He unzipped his pants, lowering any form of cloth covering his stiffness. There it was, standing tall and proud. Kylo quickly turned her around and made her bent slightly, her arms and cheek pressed into the tree. He held onto his hardness, angling it right against her entrance.

Rey bit down onto her lip. She could feel the head right there, threatening to invade her growing wetness. One push was all it took for him to dig his thick manhood into her tight, untainted walls. He grunted.

Rey gasped out a cry as she felt her body tense up. It hurt, it stung and it felt so incredibly uncomfortable. He noticed her discomfort and immediately realized what was going on. “It’s your first time.” Her reaction to his words confirmed it; Rey glanced back, her cheeks flushed a deep red-rosey colour.

He was her first. _Him._

Kylo grasped her lips with his own. One hand held onto her shoulder, his gloved thumb soothingly running up and down the skin, the other cupped her perky and small chest into his palm.

“It’s alright.” He soothingly whispered against his lips as he heard her low whimper.

That gentle tone of his calmed her down. He was willing to stay in place, just for her. He’d wait as long as it takes for her walls to adjust to his size. “Go.” Rey breathed out to him. “I’m fine, keep going.” He broke the kiss to look straight into her eyes.

Then he began. Kylo Ren thrust into her, back and forth. Almost instantly, Rey moaned out to him. Each thrust of his explored her more properly, invading every little bit of her new land until not a single part was left undiscovered. The pain began to subside and Rey soon began to feel pleasure take over.

“Ah…!” She howled out a noise of complete and utter satisfaction. He had suddenly hit an extremely sensitive nerve, causing her knees to buckle. Thanks to that little reaction of hers Kylo knew exactly what to do. He abused her g-spot, slamming his ram right into it. Every time it hit her Rey could feel herself overwhelmed with pleasure.

An insatiable hunger formed in her. Once she tasted how it felt like, she wanted more. And he gave her more. His pace sped up.

Rey glanced back at him, groaning. He left her flustered and disheveled. Her hair fell down to her neck.

Looking at her helpless expression only made him pound into her harder. He removed the brown locks of hair covering her neck and tucked them loosely behind her shoulder, enabling him to kiss her delicious neck again. Meanwhile, he started fondling her soft bosom at the same time, giving it nice and soft squeezes.

“Kylo, Kylo,” she panted. She looked fidgety, her tone of voice showing dismay and panic. Her fingers desperately grasped onto the wood as her nails sunk into it. Rey writhed, feeling something approaching, something incredible.

The rougher he got with her, the more she felt like her insides would just erupt around his big size. “I…I-“

Grunting roughly, Kylo thrusted one last time inside of her, his rod buried as deep inside of her as he could. Once she poured her load out, she tightened around him so much so that he could no longer hold it in. He coated her with his white cream, his hold tightening around his lover.

The two panted and remained there for a while, attempting to compose themselves. Once Kylo finally caught his breath, he pulled away from her.

Rey immediately felt something missing. But god was she exhausted. Any little bit of stamina in her had disappeared. “Never leave again.” He urged, turning her around to finally face him again. “Promise me you won’t.”

“I promise.” She exhaled, unable to reject her emotions any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This has gotten a lot more attention than I expected it to and it warms my heart.  
> Comment bellow if you're interested in a spinoff chapter of what was going on with Kylo Ren during his absence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Rey confront each other once more. However, this time they're not alone. A local inhabitant attacks, forcing them to work together to defeat it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, thank you so much for all the views and likes! I would also like to apologize for the lack of activity involving this fic, and hope to see you in the next chapter. <3

“Did you have to rip my clothes off?” She scoffed. Thanks to Kylo Ren’s shenanigans she had been left with absolutely nothing to wear. Rey’s back faced him as she sat down onto a stone.

“You could wear the Stormtrooper outfit.” He calmly replied, unfazed.

Rey glanced back to see what he was up to, meeting his gaze. Strangely, he didn’t flinch nor hastily try to look away. Instead, his dark eyes were completely locked on her. Flustered, _she_ was the one to avert her gaze from him at the end. “Could you not look at me like that?”

“Like what?” He seemed clueless.

“Like _that_.” Rey hugged her knees to her chest, awfully ill-tempered. “When are they coming anyway?”

“You ask too much.” Her bashful behavior amused him. “It’ll take them a while to come because someone decided to run all the way to here.”

“Fine. I’ll be quiet then.”

“That’s not what I-“ Kylo paused for a moment, clenching his jaw in slight annoyance. “Do as you please.” To think merely a few minutes ago they had shared an intimate moment together but now it felt like the two were back to square one. One defiant, the other stubborn.

The two remained there silent. They avoided each other’s eyes like the plague. It didn’t take too long until they grew eager to look at one another. “Rey-“

“It’s raining.” Her words interrupted him at the perfect time. Whether it was intended or just coincidence was unknown to him. Nevertheless, he did raise his head up. She was right; drops fell from the gloomy sky. Despite the many trees it was somehow still visible. They fell onto his face, each one sliding down to the ground. It sounded relaxing. He could stand there for hours in contempt.

Achoo! The sound of Rey’s sneezing brought him back to reality.

Once more, he looked at her. Just as he had been contently watching the sky, she was doing the same. That soft expression painted on her face, he longed to see it directed towards him. She reached her arms forward and opened her palms up to feel the rain land on it. Childish and pure.

Suddenly, the rain stopped pouring onto her head and she could no longer see the sky. Rey saw black cloth and an arm above her. The black cloak acted like an umbrella, shielding her from the rain. Upon leaning her head further back she saw Kylo Ren’s face once more, looming down on her.

Rey looked at him intently and searchingly. “We...” She began, hesitant of her next set of words. “What are we?”

She could tell he grew gloomy, he allowed his thoughts to torment him. Rey reached her hand up for him. Just out of reach. At times like these she’d come to realize how tall he truly was.

“…” Her lips pursed at his lack of supplying her a reply. The more he looked at her, the harder it was for him to speak.

Kylo’s free arm reached down to hers, grasping it. She should slap his hand away but she does the complete opposite and allows her fingers to intertwine with his own.

“I… I don’t know.” He finally answers.

The longer the silence lasted the more it terrified her. This growing fondness for him, it would lead to nothing but disaster. She was aware of it fully. Yet… Rey allowed it to continue to blossom, even nourishing it.

“Do you really not know?” She pursued her question, unwilling to accept that response of his. Disappointment crashed down hard. After everything they had been through together she expected to mean a lot more to him than that.

Conflicted, he looked away from her. That was enough for Rey to feel disheartened. Slowly and one by one, her fingers slipped away from his own and her gaze followed suit.

Amidst all this turmoil in his heart, Rey’s persistence to keep pushing for Ben Solo did not help. Knowing that the light still existed somewhere inside of him was what drove him to kill his own father in the first place. That way he was certain he would get rid of his past self entirely. However, it ate him alive. Instead of giving him relief of his weakness it only made it grow. The guilt, the pain, and the look on Rey’s eyes when she watched him do it; it would forever be engraved in his mind.  

“Just stop.” His lips finally parted to speak.

“You…” Rey couldn’t believe it. He kept pushing her away even now. “I was a fool to think for a second that you’d ever change.” Using the force, Rey flung his lightsaber right into her grasp, alarming him instantly. “I’m sick and tired of this treatment, Ben.” She aimed an attack towards him, failing horribly.

“Ben Solo is **dead**.” Kylo Ren said, holding the lightsaber’s handle tightly enough to force her arm to stay up in the air. Her free hand rushed to try and slap him, only to be enveloped by his own as his brown oculars pierced into her eyes. The look he gave her made her waver. Rey attempted to struggle against his hold to no avail, his strength was far too superior from hers.

For a moment, he indulged himself in the various emotions he felt towards Rey. On one hand, he was completely infatuated with her. On the other, angered by the handicap she had forced upon him. She was the blinding light.

Kylo lowered himself down to shorten the height difference between them. “Rey… I…I…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it. Kylo failed to be straight forward with her.

He didn’t have to. Rey stared at him with understanding eyes. All the anger and doubt faded away as soon as she began to comprehend what he was trying to say. She loosened her grip on his weapon, leaning up on her tiptoes. They were so close now. Close enough for both of them to feel each others heavy breathing.

Rey let her actions talk. She pressed her lips against his, locking him into a passionate kiss. “I love you too.” She whispered.

He eventually released her hand and wrapped it around her waist as he pulled her into his warm embrace. Nothing other than the present mattered to him. All Kylo Ren could think about was this woman, this damn woman that invaded his life.

Their time together would soon be interrupted. The ground beneath their feet began to tremble. Startled, the girl pulled away from him. “An earthquake?!” She gasped, frantically looking about.

“No,” Kylo replied, sensing something… big right under them. Wasting no time, he grabbed her hand and bolted into a sprint, dragging Rey along with him. “Run!” He shouted. When she finally managed to get a proper grip of herself, she began to run alongside him. “Quickly, before it catches up.”

Amidst the yelling, the ground distant from them started shattering into rubble.  The trees were everywhere, forcing them to manoeuvre their way around every single one. Countless of times Rey thought they’d crash right into one by accident, only to be proven wrong by Kylo’s quick wits. His reflexes and reaction time were amazing. She glanced at him. ‘This is no time to admire him!’ The Jedi profusely shook her head.

Behind them, something dug in the ground with insane speed. It left the path it took in ruins, destroying every tree in its way.

For a moment, she was relieved to think that they had outrun the monster, hinted by the lessening of that gruesome noise it exhibited. However, the ground shook under their feet once more, this time stronger. Suddenly, a giant monstrous worm came out from the earth right between them, forcing them to separate. Kylo Ren didn’t want to let go of her but he was swept away by it.

The two were now on different platforms, the alien right in the middle of them. Rey panted, gulping as she examined the thing from bottom to top. It had three heads, spikes forming all over its back almost making it resemble an odd deformity of a dragon mixed with a worm.

However, that was only what was visible to the eye. Little did they know, the alien had three more lesser heads, each in shapes of a long tentacle.  One shot up from the ground, revealing itself. It quickly latched around Rey’s leg, circling around it several times until it completely wrapped around it, its sharp jaws plunging into her shin. The being pushed inwards, causing Rey to fall down with a noise of dismay. It began dragging her towards it, leaving a fresh trail of blood.

“Rey!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. In a split second, the handle of the lightsaber shot up from his belt to his hand. He repelled it. It flew towards her. “Grab the lightsaber!” Kylo didn’t know if she could hear him between the grotesque sounds of the tree barks snapping, the earth crumbling and his heart furiously beating.

Rey didn’t need to hear his voice physically. The bond that connected them allowed her to hear it mentally. She began to understand her surroundings more, enhancing her reflexes. Rey focused, catching the red lightsaber and powering it up.

The alien lifted her up, leaving her dangling in the air and hovering right beside its biggest mouth. The thing reeked, horribly. She scrunched up her nose in disgust. Unable to stand the stench any longer the Jedi sliced the tentacle holding her leg. It cried out a horrendous noise as she plummeted to the ground, tumbling a little bit until she finally got back up onto her feet.

However, the calm didn’t last long. It was somehow intelligent, understanding that Kylo Ren was left defenseless without his weapon. It sent out another one of its tentacles, ferociously striking at him several times with insane strength, matching its anger at what Rey had done. Each time he dodged the attacks they’d leave a horrible and destructive set of lines in the ground.

“I’ve got to do something...” Rey couldn’t stand to watch this anymore. She disliked being helpless. The Jedi rushed towards it slashing in its side. “Stay away from him, you smelly worm!”

Kylo heard her loud and clear, snapping out of his defensive form to see Rey being foolishly brave. Her shout sounded more adorable and less threatening than it was supposed to be. He decided to come up with a plan to drive it away while she was creating a diversion for him.

It screeched in anger, already gravely displeased with the girl. She would pay for the damage she had caused. The two healthy tentacles it still had left wrapped together to form into one big one, whipping towards her with immense force and speed.  It was fast enough for even a Jedi to not react in time. Time suddenly slowed down for both of them, especially for Kylo who could only watch the slow motion of the tentacles lashing at her.

Then came a horrible noise; the thudding sound created by her body as it slammed against the body of a tree. The impact was enough to leave an enormous dent in it. Winded by the clash, Rey coughed out spit mixed with blood. She fell to the ground, holding on her side in pain. ‘Sh-shit that hurts’ she breathed sharply.

Raw power overwhelmed her senses. She could feel it, but it didn’t belong to her. That insane energy belonged to someone else, Ben.

Kylo Ren felt his blood boiling, his rage taking control. A suffocating darkness flourished inside of him and with a loud cry he unleashed a ferocious attack, enough to kick the creature into a brief submission. His eyes shot towards his lightsaber lying beside Rey. It hastily traveled to him. He quickly reached his hand out and gripped it firmly. Before the creature could recover from the hit it took, Kylo bolted into a run. An invisible shield surrounded his body, one created by expelling his force outwards. He rammed into the creature, staggering once more.

The worm lacked the brain capacity to comprehend what just hit him and as a result sent his tentacles at him. More tentacles came from underneath. Unlike the previous three, they lacked heads. They all missed. He skillfully maneuvered his body in between the appendages, dodging each lash. This provided Kylo the perfect opportunity to go on a rampage; he sliced every single one of its limbs that dared to attack the Supreme Leader.

Loud and abhorrent screams enveloped the atmosphere of the planet, a hint of horror and fright tainted in its sounds of disdain. It surrendered, retrieving back to its habitat and destroying every bit of land behind it.

The lightsaber fell to the ground and so did his knees from exhaustion of using so much energy. His barrier faded away. Kylo Ren widened his eyes. “Rey!” He shouted, rushing back up to his feet and hurrying towards the fallen Jedi’s side. Although his body was extremely fatigued, he didn’t let it weaken him. Kylo prioritized Rey’s wellbeing amongst all. He knelt down in front of her. She seemed unresponsive, worry riddling all over his face. “Rey?!” His voice got louder, cupping her face with his hand a bit harshly.

Baffled, his voice snapped her out of the throbbing pain. It stung, the skin most likely damaged from the collision. Worse, the wound she had yet to recover from went back to almost square one, the wetness of her hand clutching onto it hinting that it was most likely bleeding. But she ignored the throbbing pain in her body. Instead, she focused onto the one thing before her, the one thing that calmed her down...

Kylo.

Instinctively, her cheek leaned into his touch, welcoming it. "I'm fine," she finally mustered up the proper set of words. "I'll be fine. Just... don't give me that look." His worry, his concern, it all pained her far more than her wounds. "You worry too much." She gave him half of a smile.

He didn’t seem convinced, he just couldn’t believe her. Kylo watched the way that damned thing threw her and he was very well aware that she was in a lot more pain than she had been letting him to believe. He pressed his forehead against hers, maybe a bit more tightly than he had originally intended to. “Don’t you **ever** run away again.”

All she could do was nod before his hand examined the wound, tainting his own in the process. He immediately dispatched his cloak and made sure to cover her with it, whilst tightly wrapping it around the wound at the same time.

Her eyes shot towards a location. "They're here..." she faintly warned him, hearing the sound of a vehicle. The aid he called a while ago finally arrived.

He stood up. Unfazed, Kylo watched the TIE striker, which was sent by his command, land before them. Two stormtroopers existed the ship bringing a Hover-stretcher along with them. It reduced its height from the ground, laying low. Kylo picked her up before any of the stormtroopers had a chance to offer, gently laying her on it.

“Take her inside and give her the clothes.” The supreme leader commanded, his voice stern and devoid of emotion.

A look of gratitude was painted onto the Jedi's face. She had dreaded the thought of being naked in front of all those stormtroopers. It was humiliating.

The stormtrooper in charge of handling the medical capsule pushed it into the ship and Kylo Ren soon followed suit. Once inside, he gave her the clothes. She struggled to put them on, the wound proving to be problematic. Kylo noticed this and aided her in the process. Rey looked away, ashamed. Soon after, the ship departed, flying back to their base.

Nothing could be heard except other than the humming of the ship’s engines. Neither Kylo nor Rey spoke. Rey found herself glancing at Kylo every now and then. However, he didn’t return the gesture and for some reason it disappointed her. Meanwhile, Kylo couldn’t help but reminiscence the previous events. The bond they shared prior to the disgusting creature’s emergence exposed a new weakness, one he grew very wary of; his feelings for the last Jedi proved to be dangerous.

Weary for his own skin, Hux stared contently at the horizon. When they landed, he was the first person to greet Kylo Ren.

Walking down the ramp that connected the ground and the aircraft, Kylo made his way to Hux. The stormtrooper who carried Rey in the stretcher followed him. Kylo Ren seemed far from happy. “This is all you and your men’s fault.” He spouted in Hux’s face, causing the general to flinch. “Your men have proven to be incompetent. She’ll be under my supervision.”

Hux gaped his mouth, too annoyed to even respond. After all, the girl escaped due to their carelessness. “A-as you wish, Supreme Leader.” He bowed down reluctantly. 

He directed his attention away from Hux and towards the stormtrooper beside Rey. “And you,” Kylo began, causing the underling to tense up. “I want her patched up and sent to my quarters.” After shooting her one last look, he walked away.

Kylo Ren soon faded from her view. This made her grow extremely uneasy. This negative feeling... it reminded her far too much of the long time she was forced to spend in that Infirmary, isolated and away from him. She was doomed to never know if he'd ever actually come back. Even until now, it tormented her. Worry clouded her heart. 'What if he changes his mind again?' she sucked her bottom lip in, biting onto it gently.  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the eventful day, Kylo and Rey make an important decision that will decide the course of their fate in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to my friend Josh for proof reading this and Jay for inspiring a lot of the events and descriptions in this chapter.

When Kylo Ren walked away, towards the base's centre, Hux had followed him with intentions to let him know of the progress that he had obtained so far.

"Supreme Leader, we have somewhat good news." He spoke to Kylo, as they reached their control centre. Kylo Ren walked over to the end of the room, holding his hands behind his back as he stared outside at the horizon with Hux standing stiff and nervous behind him. "Go on with it. I don’t like waiting."

"We have managed to replace our old tracker with a better one. It’s only a matter of time before the Resistance is within our sights again.” Hux exclaimed arrogantly, standing tall and proud at himself for showing Kylo Ren that he's not standing by idly. It was always some sort of competition between him and the other, before their past leader, after Snoke deceased. So the two were already very well accustomed to rival each other.

Kylo grew silent, doing nothing but gaze out the large window. Even Hux found himself becoming nervous, begging for him to just speak his mind. “We move forward as soon as we get a trace." Kylo stated. Turning around, he walked to the holographic blueprints of the said tracker, and swiped through each angle of the device, analysing it.

"Did you have any luck with interrogating the Jedi so far?" Hux asked, clearly irked by all the incidents regarding the girl. His suspicion rose to its highest. If it were up to his command, Rey would have been long dead. Instead, Kylo continued to persist that she was ‘of importance’ that they ‘needed her for information’. However, not only did he treat her under kind conditions, he also went out of his way to restore her back to health when she is the enemy, something their dark lord always brushed aside. His inability to comprehend what was going on in Kylo’s mind didn’t make things any better.

"She's a Jedi. Her mind's quite strong unlike that of a normal person," Kylo Ren suddenly turned around, looking down at Hux mockingly. The General got the gist, holding back a scowl. “It'd take a while before I can get the location of the resistance's base out of her, hours, perhaps even days." He responded sternly, his face devoid of any emotions. It almost scared Hux. His entire view on Kylo Ren changed when he got trapped in his hold and he'd have even died if it wasn't for Rey. The said experience had taught him to fear the new 'Supreme Leader' more.

Hux was about to question that logic when a stormtrooper approached the both of them, interrupting he conversation. "Sir, the captive has been treated and is now kept restricted in your quarters."

"Excuse me, General." Kylo passed Hux an intimidating look before walking away. He had learned to use Hux’s fear of him to his own advantage.

  
Kylo Ren walked hastily, one step away from running. Everyone who saw him stepped aside for their Supreme Leader, fearful of getting on his bad side.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Rey waited for Kylo’s return in his chambers. She was laying on his bed, her chest heaved up and down as her eyes remained closed. She wasn't quite sleeping but she was indeed relaxing in the quiet to herself. The lively girl usually despised the silence. Right now, it didn't feel all too bad, contempt in having some time to think to herself. Especially after such a big and eventful day.

The room's large space inevitably made her a little lonely. She glanced up at his pillows. Four, two on each side of the bed. It was a large queen sized bed for just one person. And the fabric, it felt amazing. Her fingers gently stroked it, going through the texture of the patterns sewed on it. Rich and wealthy... the complete opposite of her. All her life she could only recollect her days of poverty, barely able to pass the days by on a minimum wage.

However, all this wealth, this extravagant title, the power he held, it still lacked something very crucial; that warmth, that closure she longed for and… love. Even his room felt lonely. Such a big display for merely one person.

Rey imagined Kylo Ren, no, Ben Solo, lying here, by himself, just as it is every single night. No family, no friends, nothing. All he had was himself and his thoughts, surrounded by people who couldn't care less if he had deceased, some even welcoming it. Even with all this space, it felt suffocating. She hated it. “He must have felt so alone..." The Jedi's throat felt heavy due to the growing lump.

The sound of clicking on the mechanical number pad and the automatic door sliding open alarmed her. Shaking her head abruptly, Rey frantically wiped the tear or two that managed to shed from her eyes and sat up, welcoming the sight of Kylo Ren.

“It seems like you’ve made yourself at home.” He spoke, noticing how intently she was looking at him. Kylo eyed her, trying to read her expression. “Are you alright?”

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered, trying to compose herself. "I should get off. I just felt a little dizzy." The Jedi pushed herself off of the bed and stood up. He hurried near her, helping her stand up. He wasn’t going to let her be careless about her health, not again.

“Are you sure about this? Keeping me here?” Rey hesitantly asked, the question haunting her.

Kylo rested his hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her to face him. “Don’t you get it by now? I can’t…” He stopped midway, sucking his lips in a little bit as he swallowed the rest of that sentence. It was as if something choked him or restrained him from continuing. Instead, he brought his hand under her chin, his finger softly pushing it up so that he could get a better look at her face.

Rey’s hand grasped the cloth of her shirt right in the middle of her chest, her fingers wrinkling it up. It hurt to stand, but she pushed her body’s urges back, unwilling to interrupt this moment. She breathed heavily, submissive to his next move, a feeling she began to grow rather familiar with.

He leaned in, placing a delicate kiss on her forehead. The next time he looked at her his heart stirred at the sight. He felt warmth and a sense of belonging; Rey was his, and his alone. He would make sure of it.

He always made her feel so conflicted. Each time the rough texture of his glove strokes her and those sweetly lips of his touched her skin in such a delicate manner, as if she was some fragile glass, it made her heart flutter. “You’ve made a mess out of me.” Rey admitted her voice shaky while her lips began to tremble. Every single time she recognized her feelings towards him the cruel reality of who and what they were slapped her happiness away without failure.

“A mess isn’t the term I’d use.” He casually remarked, brushing a waft of hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. Unlike Rey, his mind was at a state of ease. Whenever he was with her she’d provide him a comforting relaxation he never experienced before, shutting out his hectic thoughts. He only began to waver when he noticed the deterioration in her reaction.

Rey lost balance of her knees, nearly slipping down on the ground. He quickly caught her, his hold on her arms tight enough to make sure she wouldn’t fall.

This had become her own Hell. Combined with the constant strain on her body from the wound and her increasingly swamping emotions, she could no longer properly look him in the eyes. “I **can’t** give you what you need.” Everything inside of her begged her to forget about their unfair situation and just live in the moment. “I **can’t** stay by your side. Not… not while you’re still walking this path. They’ll come for me one day, Ben.” She finally mustered up the strength to stare at him. Her eyes did not belong to those of a hopeful prisoner who was waiting for her comrades to free her. Rather, the eyes of a broken woman who was going to lose her love. “And when they do, I can’t stay.”

“When that day comes, I’ll fight.” He abruptly said, his hold on her becoming stronger, strong enough for her to start feeling a bit of pain. If he pushed any more, her skin would undoubtedly end up bruised. “I’ll fight until my last breath.”

Those were not the words she wanted to hear but they were the ones she expected. So even after all that happened between them, they were doomed to be enemies until the very end. “Ben-“

“No.” He hushed her with his strong gaze, catching her off guard. “Don’t say another word. Just don’t.” Kylo Ren let go of her, slumping back to sit on the bed. “That day will come, I’m not oblivious Rey, I know it exists. But right now I don’t want to think about it.” His hand reached out to grab her wrist. “Just for today, please.” Baffled, Rey couldn’t help but oblige his request. He tugged on her arm, pulling her down to force her on his lap. She sounded a surprised noise.

He looked at his Light, wrapping one arm around her waist. His free hand held her face, forcing their foreheads to come in contact together while he inhaled her sweet distinct scent. Kylo closed his eyes. Something about the way he held her and looked at her made Rey feel an incredible sense of possessiveness, one she both feared and loved at the same time. For now, neither of them wanted to say any other words. Instead, they enjoyed each other in silence.   

When Rey spoke her mind she braced herself for aggression. Her time spent around Kylo Ren allowed her to comprehend one important element about him; he was very rash and quick to be angered. His eyes were the entrance to his soul. Without them, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking nor feeling and it scared her. If she thought his anger terrified her, his calm and composure was ten times worse. All she could do was loosely drape her arms over his shoulder.

Rey never had anything to hold onto in her childhood so she always appreciated anything she had a lot more than others. Never in her life has she thought she’d come to take something for granted. Yet as he sat there, his face concealing his emotions, Rey realized she was taking him for granted. The way he looked at her with serenity, his husky and nasally voice, the soft touch of his fingertips on her skin, but most of all his soothing presence, that feeling of belonging.

“Feeling of belonging…” She gasped, her eyes widening as if she just made a revelation. Her heart warmed up to him. No, her body did as well. It took her this long to notice something critical, something that had been forming without her awareness. Although she admitted it to him already, this time it hit her harder.

Her loose arms now tightened around his neck, pulling him into her embrace. “I love you.” Rey whispered to him, uncertain if he could hear her. It came out very hesitant and low.

One of his brows raised in disbelief, catching the words the first time. He just couldn’t bring himself to believe it. If he had heard her wrong, if he had imagined it, it’d hurt him far too much.

“I love you.”

He was awestruck when he heard her say it again, her voice breaking in emotion. Letting the moment sink, he found himself lost into a mute state, unintentionally tortured her. He could see it in her eyes, she wanted an answer from him. He didn’t know what to do, he wasn’t accustomed to this nor trained for this. Kylo Ren was a killing machine not a lover.

Yet, all he wanted in his life was to be accepted, to be trusted, to belong. He pitied those who had someone to love and envied those who had someone love them.

He slouched down towards her, his head nestling in her shoulder. “I…”

“It’s okay.” Rey interrupted, sensing him become hesitant again just like he was in the forest. “You don't have to say it-“

“I love you too.” He quickly said, not wanting her to think any other way. He was incapable of saying it once from weakness, he wasn’t going to do it again. This time, Kylo Ren would make sure to convey his full feeling to the Jedi. She was special to him like no other. In the loneliest days of his life, she waltzed right in and filled his void. Kylo wasn’t the only loner. Knowing that they both went through the same sadness only made his need to make her his stronger so that he could make her happy.

Finally, he pulled away from the hug, wanting to look at Rey. Her eyes, they always offered him incredible comfort.

“Ben.” Rey gasped. That expression took her breath away and left her speechless. Had her eyes began to play tricks on her? Deceive her? This soft, tender and loving gaze, it was for **her** and no one else.

Even though he indirectly confessed before, hearing him say it upfront felt incredible. This sudden happiness, it was a foreign concept to the scavenger girl from Jakku. She felt safe, content and in bliss with him.

_‘Home’_

That word always bore a significant meaning to her. Most would define it as simply as a house, a building or something physical one would live in. But to Rey, it was the family and the love she never had. As she sat there, cradled in his lap she couldn't help but think maybe, just maybe, she didn’t need that family she always longed for if she had **him**.

“Your eyes,” Rey began, making him raise his eyebrows in question. “They say so much about you.” Her thumb brushed against his cheek, a decent distance to his eye but not nearly close enough to poke it. One look at them always left her feeling squeamish and shy.

Even though she wanted to prolong the moment, the pain in her side peaked to its highest and made itself noticeable. Her wince caught his attention. 

Allowing himself to become so indulged in the moment caused him to foolishly forget she was injured and needed rest. Kylo even began to feel guilty for having hugged her way too tight.

“Forgive me,” he said, helping her off of her lap and seating her down on the bed. His gaze still lingered on the girl. “Rest, before the wound resurfaces again. That’s the last thing I want.” He laid out his free hand, extending his palm towards her. “I need you to promise me that you won’t do anything rash again.”

Rey’s hand reached over, her fingers intertwining with his own as they slowly came to a close. She squeezed it lightly, finding it oddly reassuring and pleasing to do, almost like a stress-ball. She could tell Kylo wasn’t exactly feeling ecstatic about her escape earlier and even worried she might try it again.

“I promise.” She calmly replied. The Jedi would have no idea how two mere words of hers gave him an immense sense of reassurance and relief. “You worry too much.”

Her words displeased him. Every inch of him was concerned for this girl. Her already damaged self was brought upon more wounds, making her even weaker and more vulnerable than she already was. To him, his concern was justified. Scoffing her remark off, he felt his fingers begin to play with hers.

Rey grew bolder, evident in her next course of action towards Kylo. She scooped away a little bit, leaning her head down to rest it on his lap. A soft fatigued sigh escaped her lips. Somehow, to her, his lap felt much more comfortable this his enormous bed and his fluffy pillows. In fact, it felt just right.

He was silent amidst all this as he slowly observed what she was doing. He had no objections to this. Kylo even began to stroke her hair.

“You’re so warm…” Rey muttered under her breath, allowing herself to smile a bit. She pulled her feet up from the ground and onto the bed, nuzzling her cheek into his lap. Her legs curled inwards a little, making herself more comfortable in this position.

“This smile… I want to preserve it.” His fingertips graced the ends of her lips. In this moment he knew he’d go to any extent to save this beautiful expression.

“You’re really a nuisance, you know that Rey?” His hand glided over her hair and her face, massaging his scalp. Perhaps it would make her sleepy.

His voice would always be enjoyable to listen to. That deep huskiness felt more relaxing than a lullaby. Rey’s palm moved up to his lap, softly and gently rubbing it. “Mhm…” She was so drowsy.

All the Jedi could think about was his fingers; how they sweetly brushed against her brown hair, that nice tingling feeling it gave her scalp. His touch was unquestionably better than any drug. Her lips released a very low sound, similar to that of a purring cat getting pet by their beloved owner. To her, this was heaven; resting on his lap without a single worry in her mind other than wishing that he would never stop.

Eventually, she stopped responding entirely. For the first time in a while, her sleep was calm. No nightmares, no disturbance, just complete and utter peace of mind.

“Rey?” He spoke softly, wanting to confirm she was asleep. Her lack of response assured him she was. He carefully transferred her away from his lap and onto the silky mattress that adorned his large bed. Standing up, his every move was executed with caution, careful not to wake her up. Kylo pulled the soft blankets over Rey, covering her with it.

For a good while, all he could do was watch her. No longer able to resist himself, he planted a kiss on her head. As if content with the mentioned act, he made his way to the other side of his bed and crawled over, distant away from her. Kylo just laid in his share of the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind was quick to shroud itself with thoughts.

There were several things that bothered him; Hux’s loyalty, the pressure of his role and amidst it all... Rey.

He turned over to his side to look at her again. She was quite the messy sleeper. Her hair was already a mess from her movement and she tossed over to face him. On rare occasions when his parents were home, Kylo could remember the distant memory of watching them cuddled up to each other. He remembered how gross he found it back then. Ironic how today, all he yearned for was to do that with this woman.

But he was nervous and unsure. Slowly, he contradicted his own self and shifted his body a little closer towards the girl.

“…”

He could no longer stand the distance. Hearing her breath so close to him shattered every bit of self-resistance left inside of him. He closed the gap between them and extended his arm out to wrap it around her back, pulling her towards him.

Instinctively, she snuggled against his chest. He found himself stunned and unprepared. This intimacy, he loved every little bit of it.

Soon, he noticed he was no longer thinking about the unnecessary stressful doubts that filled his mind earlier. Instead, all he thought of was her, just **her**.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is compelled into a secret room by a foreign but familiar voice. Following the urge, she enters the realm and finds herself in a blast from the past.

The following day Rey woke up to a lonely bed. She groggily glanced at the other side, where Kylo Ren should have been, staring at nothing but empty sheets. She decided to sit up cross-legged, and then ran a few fingers through her dishevelled bed-hair, using them like a comb. Her lips parted to release a light pitched long yawn. "Did he not sleep?" She muttered to herself, concerned if he had actually spent the entire night working.

"He must have just left early..." She eventually convinced herself, sighing. Rey slumped back against the mattress and laid there for a while, relaxing. Her eyes watched the ceiling, waiting for the grogginess to decrease. When it lessened, she finally got off from the bed and stretched her arms. The Jedi was surprisingly calm for a prisoner. In reality, she did not feel like a prisoner at all. At least for now. A certain leader treated her like a princess.

Time passed by very slowly in the room and Rey found herself running low on things to do, resulting in her inevitable boredom. Limited freedom meant limited things to do. A sudden thought crossed her mind. She walked towards the door, her hand resting on the pressure that opened it up. Instead of giving her access to the outside, it sounded a negative noise. "Seems like he programmed it to only detect his hand. You're stuck here for the day, Rey..." She grumbled to herself, huffing a breath of air out.

By noon, Rey had explored the entire room thoroughly enough to know exactly where everything is. After all, it may have been spacious but there was only so much she could discover.

Or so she thought. She felt a presence compelling her towards a location. However, when she'd turn to it all she would see is a wall. 'Use the force' she'd hear. Startled by the foreign voice in her head, Rey jumped, looking around to reconfirm that she was the only one in the room. Tempted, she closed her eyes and focused her mind towards the wall. To her surprise, it slowly slid open, revealing a secret entrance to an anonymous area. Curiosity got the best of her and she walked inside. Dark. "Where are the lights?" Her hand fumbled against the wall. Little did she know it was a motion detector. When she moved a little bit more forward it sensed her movement and the room brightened. Every single light was specifically directed to one location, giving it the spotlight; a pedestal in the middle. And on top of it... a broken mask that looked like it endured Hell and back.

Rey approached it, wary about what it was. It looked like Kylo Ren's mask, but different, older. She reached towards it shakily. Before her fingertips could meet it, they flinched back. Something... something dark emitted from it. The Jedi couldn't explain it but a horrible uneasiness grew inside of her.

Despite her unwillingness to pick it up, it was calling her. Something alluded her towards the mask. Somehow, Rey knew it was old, the air of it heavy with time.

“Darth Vader.”

She gasped the words, finally aware of its owner. Many beings had cowered in fright at the slightest mentioning of the name over the decades. Rey was no exception. Yet as it laid there broken, it relished in its former glory and its rich history.

Eventually, she mustered up enough strength to pick it up, holding it firmly with two hands. In an instant, she felt a harsh and abrupt awakening invading her mind and with it, an overwhelm of negative and abhorrent emotions. As the walls of the room faded into darkness, almost suffocating her, Rey searched for a way out. However, she’d find nothing but an endless blackness. It was as if she was thrown into a vortex or a black hole.  

Then, a temple warped out of nothingness. She looked around, amazed by the sight displayed to her; beneath her feet was a floor made of marble, carved with a rich pattern that matched the ceiling. There were very little furniture, only a set of armchairs surrounding the furthest end of the room. One-half was made of only windows, the other the entrance. From a first glance, she was the sole person in here. Upon further investigation, Rey would realise there were kids hiding behind the chairs.

“They’re just like me.” Rey’s lips formed into a smile as Jedi children came from hiding and into vision. She had so many questions for them.

One blonde child from the group, who looked to be the bravest, began to walk towards her. However, she would hear the shifting sound of the mechanical door opening and watch the child walk to it instead. Rey turned around, facing the same direction. Out of it came a cloaked man. The child uttered out incoherent words. A chilling silence filled the room only to be broken by the familiar sound of a lightsaber.

“No!” She screamed at the figure, understanding his motives as she saw him draw out his weapon towards the children. She thought him to be a Jedi, like her. Instead, he heartlessly slaughtered them without a second thought. The look in his eyes showed anger, the same kind she had seen peaking in Kylo Ren countless of times. However, Kylo’s was not nearly as strong.

When he finished his bidding, he left the room with no hesitation. Rey pursued him, both mortified and outraged by his actions. She chased him down a long and spacious hallway filled with large pillars. Suddenly, Rey stumbled onto something heavy, falling down. She glanced back, horrified at what had caused her to trip; a body. Shocked, she hastily looked around and only then realised she was surrounded with them. Those corpses belonged to Jedi Knights and Padawans, murdered by the hands of the same man who massacred the Younglings.

Heat penetrated her from underneath where she laid. She looked down and the floor melted into lava. Then came pain. God, was it **horrible**. Her body was engulfed in flames, burning to ash. This was too much to handle.

The lava was soon morphed into water. Rey began to sink down to the bottom, her body limp. When she reached the end, instead of the cushioned and slow landing, she passed through as if the floor was made of nothing but clouds. She plummeted down a great distance. It felt endless.

Every pit had a bottom. She should have come crashing down from a height like that. However, she landed perfectly onto her feet, unhinged.

Where was she? Uncertainty and confusion filled her. Wherever she was, she could only see darkness once again. Suddenly, light shone down on her, and only on her. The rest of the room remained devoid of any form of illumination. Then, she heard mechanical breathing followed by heavy, subtle footsteps. From the black void Darth Vader himself appeared.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins and her hazel ovals widened in disbelief. “It can’t be…! You’re dead!” He took another step towards her, she followed suit by taking a step back. This cycle continued until she could no longer physically move back. Behind her was an invisible wall that obstructed any further pathing.

"What do you want?!" She shouted at the figure. It only answered her with the sound of his signature mechanical respirator. Again, it moved to her. She rushed to look around and find some way to fight him.

Darth Vader raised his hand up. The force? Was he going to use it to kill her? In response, she did the same, determined to push him away.

Instead, he removes his mask with a pneumatic hiss. There beneath the horrible scars is an elderly man, his eyes display a look that should not be portrayed by a man who had committed all the horror she had witnessed. His lips painfully twitch into a weak smile and then he fades. With his body gone, his robotic armour clashes to the floor.

"Ah!" The room becomes blindly bright. Rey flinches, her arms covering her face to shield her eyes from harm. She glances around her and sees a woman, with long elegant curly hair flowing down to her waist. Her clothes gave away her nobility. Beside her were a boy and a girl, Rey’s age. All three distinctively resembled each other. She could feel the peace, the harmony, the soothing sensation emitting from them.

The cloaked figure from before appeared again and the sight alone petrified her. "Watch out!" Rey warned the happy family, her sight now fixated onto the same cruel man who had murdered innocents in front of her. But they didn't budge, nor were they frightened in any way. The eldest woman's gaze never left the man's. Her arms reached forward, welcoming him into an embrace, one that felt as if it had been longed for years.

Suddenly, she gets snapped away from the beautiful, tear-jerking reunion and instead comes back to Kylo Ren's room, the mask still in her hands as if she never moved. Shocked, the Jedi continued to stare at it, frozen in place.

“Hello Rey.”

Rey jumped, startled by the invasive voice calling to her. She had nearly dropped the mask from her hands, squeaking a little bit as she rushed to squat down and catch it before it fell to the floor. ‘Close…’ Relieved, she felt rolls of sweat fall down from her forehead from how nervous she was after nearly dropping something so important. The man cleared his throat, catching her attention.

The girl glanced back up at him. She recognised his eyes, the cloaked man from earlier. Confused, she hesitantly stayed in place, unsure of what to say. Her clumsy little moment made her decide to put the mask back on its pedestal. She didn't want to risk facing Kylo Ren's wrath when he'd find out she was responsible for damaging it in any way. Even she knew the high regard he had for it.

“I am Anakin Skywalker, former Jedi and former Sith Lord.” He introduced himself before her. “I am the owner of the mask you currently carry and… the one my foolish grandson looks up to.” With the last sentence, he looked away, somewhat regretting his choices during his life. Anyone who knew Anakin Skywalker would insist he had been redeemed by defeating his master Darth Sidious and by saving his son, Luke. But Anakin still felt like he had one more important mission to do before he could rest; the remnants of the Empire that was supposed to be destroyed remained, shattering the long period of harmony in the decades that lied ahead. Especially with his bloodline now holding the reigns to the chariot.

"This... this is yours?" Once Rey’s hands were emptied, her gaze fell upon him. She examined him, both confused and startled by his looks. There he stood, a man who barely looked past his twenties. He resembled a model, his facial features stunning and his body in perfect shape. The complete opposite of the old, miserable and scarred elderly man she had seen in her vision. This was his true self? His Jedi form that he had lost after becoming a Sith?

More importantly... this was the man Kylo Ren looked up to. Yet, he didn't seem evil, harmful nor mean spirited. On the contrary, every vibe he gave off felt pleasant.

“It is. But I’m certain you already knew that before I introduced myself.” Anakin circled around her, examining her as he walked. “Rest easy, I mean you no harm. You were frightened by what you saw, by Darth Vader.” He hit the nail. Rey winced a little bit, reminiscing the flashbacks. “I established a force bond between us. You’ve experienced one before.” Anakin walked closer to her, resting a hand atop of her shoulder. He could tell how uneasy she still was from his presence. “I apologise for what I forced you to go through. It was necessary.”

The force bond initiated by Anakin had her enter his psyche, experiencing the tale of the legend unfold before her. He removed his hand from her, turning to stare at the remains of his heirloom. “I won’t prolong your curiosity. What are your motives regarding my grandson, Ben Solo?”

"My motives...?" That question was so simple yet it dumbfounded her. She had never properly sat down and thought about it. Her mind spiralled into a loop of thoughts, trying to specify what she wanted with Ben. She closed her eyes, pondering to herself. Ben Solo, a man she cared for, loved and wanted to help. That was what he was to her. Recollecting her thoughts ignited the fire that was temporarily extinguished. She opened her eyes back up, determination flaring in them; one very similar to that of when she had faced Luke Skywalker in the secluded island, completely confident in her ability to bring Ben Solo back.

Her actions and mannerisms reminded him of someone. He could feel a sense of faint nostalgia. However, he couldn't put a finger on what and why he felt such a connection.

  
"I want to help him turn away from that path he took." She added, hoping to break his silence. That mentality to save the one she loves even if the odds were against her… everything now clicked in place. Rey reminded him of his beloved wife, Padme.

“We are all beings coexisting as one with the force Rey. It is natural for one to steer down to another path.” He gave his mask one last glance before making his way to the glass window that adorned the room. His eyes scanned the many wonders of nature outside, holding his hands behind his back.

Anakin wasn’t the only one noticing a resemblance. Watching him do that reminded Rey of a certain arrogant and proud man. She couldn’t help but smile.

"I've seen the light in him, multiple times, he fights it back but I **know** it's there." She took a deep breath, her gaze falling to the floor. "When I felt that bond with him, when I began to understand him more I felt so certain, so sure that I could bring him back. And then... he proved me wrong. This cycle continues endlessly, even till now. I see the light in moments when he can't bring himself to kill me yet... his darkness peeks so strongly when he shuns me away and refuses to leave the first order, insisting to destroy everything and start his new own order. It scares me.”

Her hopes had been shattering for a while now. Although Rey had fallen in love with her enemy, doubt continued to cloud her mind. Why she expressed herself to Anakin so easily or spoke her mind as if he were her guide, Rey would never know. Something inside of her told her to let everything out now, to be honest, or else she'd come to regret it.

“What really matters is for hope to never falter. Without hope, the galaxy is doomed. But-“ Anakin paused, turning to look back at her. “Most important of all, you mustn’t lose your faith in him. You are the only thing keeping the conflict in his heart. As long as you exist, Ben Solo shall never entirely turn to the dark side.”

Rey’s eyebrows furrowed. Ben Solo wasn’t the only one with conflict tearing him apart, her own did the same amount of damage to her. Maybe he could resolve it. “You, you’ve done horrible things. What changed you? What made you turn back? No matter what I do, no matter what I say he won’t listen to me. He might consider it temporarily but at the end of the day everything goes back to square one.”

Her question stirred his emotions. Memories abruptly struck his mind. Regret was written over his face when he immersed himself in his past. “Fear is dangerous Rey. It leads people to do horrendous things. It was my lack of power that I feared, my inability to save my wife.”

“To save the one you love most.” Rey added.

“Good intentions, bad execution.” He tried to joke to lighten up the gloomy mood. “To answer to your dilemma, Luke Skywalker, my son, woke me up. My biggest regret is that it took such a drastic moment like that to see the light again.”

Rey listened closely. Comprehending the fact that the man before her was Darth Vader himself shed a new light to the Jedi. Anakin recognised the look in her eyes and continued. “Now that you know, I urge you to not give up on him. No matter what happens remember, no one is gone forever. Ben Solo **still** has good in him. Restore him to his former glory. You’re the only one who can.”

“I won’t!” She announced, more certain than she had ever been. The tales of Darth Vader, one of the most feared names in the galaxy even till now, failed to tell the entire story; how he managed to redeem himself.

He suddenly approached her, grabbing her lightly by the chin. Rey couldn’t help but become a little flustered. “Hm,” he eyed her. “My grandson has good taste.” Her cheeks grew warmer. He noticed her tension and smirked, letting go of her chin to extend his arm up and softly pat her on the head. “You’re a jewel Rey. I only hope my grandson realises it before it’s too late. See you around, kid.”

“Master Anakin, wait!” Rey raised her hand up as if she could hold a spirit or stop him. Her pleas served no purpose. Anakin disappeared from her sight, leaving her into the empty room, exactly as it was when she first entered it.

Meanwhile, in the other portion of the room, Kylo Ren stepped inside. He held a tray of food just enough for one person. “Rey?” He called out. No answer. His suppressed doubts and fears resurfaced. Alone, he’d always be alone. Kylo was a fool to think he’d ever live his life any other way. He could only trust himself, he had learnt this a long time ago when his own master betrayed him. Yet out of his own weakness he allowed himself to think that she would be an exception, that she would make him feel differently.

Enraged, he let out a growled mixed with a shout that disrupted the silence, even ranging outside the room for the guards near the door to hear. They took a moment to stare at each other and synchronically walked away, knowing their ill-tempered leader far too well to stick around.

Kylo threw the tray onto the wall, several of the plates shattering. He’d let his wrath out on his own room and furniture.

Inside the secret passage stood a startled Rey heard all the ruckus going on in the main room.

 _“No one is gone forever._ _Ben Solo **still** has good in him. Restore him to his former glory. You’re the only one who can.”_

The words of Anakin Skywalker rang in her head again. Using them as fuel, Rey rushed to the distressed Kylo. Furniture had been tossed everywhere and some of the walls had dents in them.

“Ben?” She called out. “Ben what’s wrong?” Her tone of voice raised. “Ben!” She yelled this time, feeling invisible in front of his overwhelming rush of negative feelings.

Amidst all the destruction he caused, his psych was pulled into a maelstrom of emotions. He was always vulnerable to them, prone to his own anger. Rey understood this and witnessed it far too much than she had hoped several times before. Once he drowned himself into his own despair it would take drastic measures to snap him out of it.

If words wouldn’t work she’d let her actions take over. Rey somehow managed to get to him without getting caught in his temper, her hands clasping on his face to hold him in place. “Look at me.” She’d say while gazing into his shaken eyes. He still struggled, almost as if he was so lost that he couldn’t even recognise her. “I said look at me!” She demanded, her hold tightening to force him in place.

In that moment, the two stared at each other. Although he was panting profusely Rey could feel the hostility in him melting away. Once her judgement deemed him calm, she let go of him.

“Where were you?” Kylo finally asked, wrecked by his own guilt for doubting her. “I thought you left again…” He added, this time a lot less audible.

As much as she cared for him, Rey’s confusion convinced her that she shouldn’t tell him the truth. She didn’t want to take the risk of having him get mad at her for intruding the private space he locked away. However, the more she prolonged her silence the more she put herself under suspicions and the worse his mental state got. Seeing him this way broke her heart. “I’m sorry, I was meditating in the bathroom.”

“In the bath… room?” He questioned, causing her to grow a little awkward.

After seeing the confused and baffled look on his face regarding the location she chose, she couldn't help but sheepishly smile. “All the sounds from the machinery made it hard… it’s a lot quieter in there.”

The bathroom. He should have checked it before he came to an unnecessary conclusion. “God, woman, you always make my head go crazy.” Kylo sighed, dropping himself back to sit on the bed. Rey took a seat beside him, allowing her arms to wrap around his sides, nestling her head into his neck. “I told you, Ben-“ She glanced up at him, planting a soft kiss on his shoulder. “I’m not leaving you.”

His hand reached down to brush locks of her away from her face, softly stroking it while he was at it. She could still sense some concern in him. “I’m not leaving you.” Rey repeated, almost like a calming mantra. She leaned her head back up, moving her face very close to his own. “Ever.” She whispered.

This sudden next level of affection was a lot, even for Rey. Kylo could only gaze at her, both baffled and overwhelmed by the harmonious sensation inside of him thanks to her. Unable to resist her any longer, Kylo pulled Rey into his embrace, his love for her emitting from his touch. He held her with such care, such delicacy, wanting nothing than to keep her right here with him.

The Light and Dark remained in each other’s embrace for hours, residing in a state of perfect harmony.

 

 


End file.
